Tracye McQuirter and Helping 10 Million Black Women Go Vegan

Turning vegan can feel like an arduous process. There is constant experimentation with foods that you have no idea how to cook—scrutinizing every food label. Change is daunting even at the best of times, and going plant-based is no different. It is an experience that can be very isolating and challenging without the proper guidance or support group to help you on your journey. 

One person that knows the value of community is Trayce McQuirter. Community is a theme that has followed Trayce throughout her life. It has shaped her opinions on feminism, civil rights, and veganism. Wherever she has been, there is a group of supportive, like-minded people behind her. 

Creating her own community with the 10,000 Black Vegan Women Movement, Tracye has established a community to help Black women make the transition to a plant-based lifestyle. Now with over 15,000 members, Tracye has her sights on her latest project: the 10 Million Black Vegan Women Movement.

Raised by a strong-willed mother, Tracye recalls her mother's hardships as a Black woman living in 1930s North Carolina. It was a life littered with racism and sexism. Not just from the outside world but at home. Growing up on a farm, Tracye's mother was born into a world where children were supposed to be seen and not heard. As someone that knew what it felt like to be forced into a stereotypical sexist mould, Trayce's mother made it a point to give her daughter the freedom not afforded to her. 

“My mother vowed if she ever had children, they would be able to say what they want.”

Despite the rough rural life, the habits of farm life still permeated Tracye's life in the urban metropolis of Washington DC. She fondly recalls the herbs and vegetables that her aunt and grandmother grew in their backyards. Surrounded by a tight-knit group of strong women, they nurtured Trayce's independence. 

While healthy living always played a role in her mother's life, Trayce despised it — a plate full of Brussel sprouts and broccoli was the last thing on her mind. Trayce's love was political activism. Injustice was something she was always aware of. Her mother was quick to point out the embedded racism and sexism found on television or in the media. Even when faced with the untimely assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, Tracye was undeterred in her push to become an activist. She was going to do it regardless. 

The penny dropped for Tracye while at college. Enrolled in various liberal arts courses at Amherst College, Trayce attended a lecture hosted by comedian, civil rights activist, and vegetarian Dick Gregory. His words were a turning point — something just clicked. Suddenly, the connection between the civil and animal rights movements became crystal clear. From that moment, Tracye made the conscious decision never to touch meat again. 

Tracye considered her journey as a personal one. She felt no need to preach to her friends or force them to convert. This didn't stop her from convincing her sisters. Excited at the prospect of veganism, the girls decided to do some more research. In a time before, this meant that instead of skimming through Facebook to find a viewpoint that validated your own, research meant reading books. So Tracye and her sisters headed to the library to learn the fundamentals of living a plant-based life. 

Books were a start, but they were dry and clinical. Tracye found there was a lack of real-life experience and no practical guidance. Luckily, Tracye found what she was looking for during her second semester at Howard University. There, she discovered a vibrant and bustling vegan community nestled in the heart of DC. It was everything she could possibly want — stores filled with local fresh produce and a restaurant for every niche of veganism you could think of. Most important of all, there were people. From all walks of life, each person came with their own individual motives for turning vegan. Some were spiritual. Some were ethical. Others were like her own, had motives rooted in the push for racial equality. She absorbed it all like a sponge, happy to be around people willing to share their experiences and knowledge. 

Grateful for the various communities that influenced her life, Tracye looked for ways to give back as her mother taught her. Knowing the inherent link between the Black community and chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and diabetes, Tracye founded the 10,000 Black Vegan Women Movement. 

The 10,000 Black Vegan Movement came into existence to help Black women transition into veganism by offering an array of resources, including fitness classes, meal plans, and a six-week transition course. The goal was to make the transition to a plant-based lifestyle as easy and accessible as possible. 

The launch was not easy, however. Right after Tracye’s campaign got off to a good start, the pandemic hit. There was a stutter and stumble as the lockdown forced her close-knit team apart; however, they managed to find a silver lining. With the rise of COVID-19, there also came a greater interest in a plant-based lifestyle. With the virus affecting so many, people sought ways to improve their overall health and help mitigate underlying health conditions. As always, Tracye jumped at the chance to help. Quickly, the movement gained momentum and became a self-sustaining community of 15,000 women. Health benefits were seen across the board, with women reporting drops in cholesterol, blood pressure, and improvement in mental clarity. 

But it was not all glory. Looking after the welfare of so many others, Trayce neglected her own. Like for so many of us, Trayce's 2020 was littered with personal tragedies. Losing a friend to cancer and a family member to COVID, Trayce's physical and mental health took a serious blow. She flung herself into her work, spending between 24 to 72 hours awake at a time. 

Reflecting on the recklessness of her actions, Trayce is now in a better place. If it is one thing the pandemic taught her, it is the importance of self-care. Now training every day and with her sleep pattern in check, Trayce tells people that despite what societal pressures dictate, your success should not come at the cost of your personal health. 

Tracye’s advice to women founders: “Trust yourself and understand that most of the doubt you feel is outside of you and is from societal influence. Your self and your person is rooting for you.”

With the restrictions of the pandemic slowly beginning to lift, the 10,000 Black Vegan Women Movement has now expanded to the 10 Million Black Vegan Women Movement in full swing. Now 55, Tracye has spent 35 years in the activism game and doesn't sugar coat it. Burnout is real. But she doesn't let it stop her. Instead, like she has been doing her entire life, Trayce draws on those around her: to inspire her, to motivate her, and to continue the fight. 

Those around her continue to be a source of inspiration, one that undoubtedly will fuel the final decade of her activist career. Setting the ambitious goal of reaching 1 million Black women with her movement, Trayce looks to leave a legacy of a self-sustaining community of women. Much like the one she was born into 55 years ago.